How to Fry Plantains

Fried plantains are a childhood food of mine. When I was little we use to have to help peel them, which is very hard without a knife, so the flesh on my thumb would always separate from the nail a little from all of the prying. I was little, and therefore not allowed to use a knife.

Incredibly simple in how to make and in taste, they provide a bit of comfort to me whenever I have a beautifully made one. They are a great side dish in meals, so it’s always great to have a few of these handy in your kitchen. For savory plantains you want green bananas. If they ripen and turn yellow, not a problem, just wait till they start turning black and you can make sweet plantains.

Ingredients

Plantains sliced 1 inch thick, can be cut on a diagonal or straight.

½ inch of oil in a pan

Salt to taste

Now What?

Heat the oil and when it starts to ripple, you are ready to start frying your plantains. Gently place the plantains in the oil, when they start to turn a bit golden, flip and fry till the other side is lightly golden as well. Take them out and gently smash them thinner and wider. You can do this with a plantain press, two plates, or my preferred method since I don’t have a press, a wooden spoon.

Place the plantains back in the oil and keep frying on both sides till it is cooked through and lightly brown.